Over My Dead Body
by Today-Only-Happens-Once
Summary: Socs like to jump us. Sometimes they do it for kicks, others for a reason. Sober or drunk, it don't matter. They jump us. Then, one night they came with a purpose. To teach me a lesson. But Darry wouldn't let them, not over his dead body... R
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya! How awesome is the _Outsiders? _Let me hear you scream! ! OK! I had to read this book for reading class and i loved it. It's my favorite book that is not part of a series. (I do not count _That was then, this is now_ as a sequel, even though the Shepard gang and Ponyboy are sort of in it.) Well, this story picks up after the last sentence of the book. Please let me know how this turned out. It started as an assignment. We had a choice, we could write another chapter (which is how this story came into being) or we could do a movie poster and book review. I decided to do a movie poster, and use my "extra chapter" as the base of a ff. Anyway, i will let you read on now. Oh, and i do not own any otusiders stuff...**

I barely got an hour of sleep that night. I turned in the paper the next day. My teacher said that "it was one of the best theme papers he's read" and junk. I got an A, that was tuff enough for me. Darry sure was proud and he got off my case about school work for a while. Like tonight. I was glad that he didn't ask me if my homework was done, even though it already was. Darry's always wanting me to get homework done first, even on the weekends. That doesn't bother me. Dad always had that rule before he and mom died. But I was determined not to think of that now. Now, it was just me, Soda, Darry, and Two-Bit (Steve was working the late shift at the gas station) hanging out in the lot and having a smoke.

The gang meetings felt weird, without Dally or Johnny there, but I was determined not to think about that either. I did my best to focus on Two-Bit's story of how he picked up this cute greaser chick named Shelby.

"Yeah, I've seen her. Down at the gas station, I mean. Cute broad," Soda said between puffs of smoke. Two-Bit glared at him as if to say "shut your trap", but remained silent. Soda didn't seem to notice.

Nobody said anything for a while. It was real quiet that night. All I could hear was a low hum of a Mustang driving down a distant street and I got real nervous.

I knew that Soda, Darry, and Two-Bit heard it too 'cause they all stiffened and their eyes narrowed dangerously. Darry glanced down at me and moved so that he was in front of me, but still to my left. Soda did the same on my right. Two-Bit stood directly behind me.

We all watched the street carefully and it wasn't long before a glow of headlights appeared on the dark street. Those headlights were zig-zagging all over the place. It was then that I knew two things. One, Socs were here. Two, they were dangerously drunk by the way those lights were moving. The glow got brighter and brighter and it wasn't long before the car came into view.

None of us said anything as the Mustang came to an abrupt and screechy stop. A whole bunch of Socs got out. I counted seven.

"Play it cool. We might be able to talk our way out of a fight. Don't pull a blade unless they do," Darry mumbled. I nodded along with Soda. I assumed that Two-Bit did too, though I didn't turn around.

The Socs took staggering steps toward us and nearly fell over top of one another. The smell of whiskey suffocated the air. I swear, you could have gotten drunk just being in the toxic air if you weren't careful.

"This ain't your territory. You'd better watch it," Darry warned cooly.

At that last phrase, I recalled the night that Johnny said the exact same thing. The same night that Johnny killed Bob. I remembered the water the nearly killed me. It was then that I recognized the leader of the gang of Socs that were staggering toward us now. It was David. I could still feel his strong hand against my neck. Bob's voice when he said "Give the kid a bath, David" ran through my head.

My eyes must have gotten real big because Darry turned to stare at me. He gave me a questioning glance. I glanced at David and then back to Darry. Darry's eyes widened and I knew he understood. But neither of us said anything as Darry turned back to the Socs.

"We wanna see the kid," David said unsteadily.

"And why would we do that?" Soda asked casually.

"We need to have a little talk about why killing people ain't right," David said. The way he said "talk"sent shivers down my spine. David flipped a switchblade and smiled evilly.

Darry pulled a blade too, along with Soda and Two-Bit. I just stood there. Man, did I feel dumb.

"That was from a long time ago," Soda said.

"The kid still needs to learn his lesson,"

Darry moved over so that he stood directly in front of me and said in a low voice, "Over my dead body,"


	2. Chapter 2

**So far, this is the longest chapter I have ever written! Thank you! Hold the applause! Thank you! You readers really deserve it! Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreicate it and i hope you guys appreiciate this chapter! Let me know! Review!**

Right then and there I had never been more scared in my life. Soda was expressionless all except his eyes. Soda's eyes were huge, and it scared me something awful because I've never seen him that panicked. And I've seen Soda panic before. Man did I wish I had a switchblade. I felt useless and pathetic just standing there, with Two-Bit's hand on my shoulder.

Darry didn't move. Neither did the Socs. They stood there, glaring at one another. This shouldn't be happening, Darry shouldn't have to do this….they want me, not him. The gang shouldn't have to do this just because the Socs want to beat me up. I don't care if the beat the tar out of me, Darry shouldn't have to…

"Darry, you don't have to," I started to say. But I was interrupted by Darry, who didn't turn to face me.

"Ponyboy Curtis, shut your trap!" he snapped. I clamped my mouth shut. Soda's eyes glanced at me and gave me one of those it's-because-he-cares looks.

"Look, we don't want trouble. Just leave us alone and we'll forget this ever happened," Two-Bit's rough voice came firmly. I had never heard Two-Bit be like that. I looked up at him. His eyes were stormy and fierce, and he was stiffer than a brick wall. It suddenly hit me that these Socs wanted to kill me, and not like that time at the movie house. This time they really _wanted_ to kill me, that time they didn't really care how much they beat me up. I tensed and Two-Bit felt it. His grip on my shoulder tightened. I felt helpless, and I hated every bit of it.

"Well, you see, you won't forget this happened because we won't let you. That is, unless you leave us with him," David motioned to me.

"I thought we had already made it clear that we weren't gonna let you do that," Soda growled.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Then it looks like we're gonna have to beat all of y'all up. What a pity. I'll have to waste my shiny new switchblade on a bunch of greasy trash,"

That made me real mad and I couldn't understand how Darry, Soda, and Two-Bit could stand insults like that. I saw David flick his hand to the left. Three Socs, drunker than ever, moved to the left so that they blocked any hope of escape that direction. The same happened on the right. We were backed up against the wall. For being as drunk as they were, they sure were smart.

There was some space between us and the wall of Socs, enough that someone could run at us if they wanted to. One of the Socs right next to David, who stood in the middle, lunged at Darry with his blade help high.

"DARRY!" I screamed. He ducked low enough to miss the blade and belted the Soc in the stomach. The fight was on.

Two-Bit's hand left my shoulder as he turned to face two Socs. I decided that I should help him out, since two against one ain't really fair when blades are involved. Two-Bit didn't really even need my help, he was doing just fine by himself. I jumped on one of the Socs' backs in an attempt to strangle him. Thankfully, this time there wasn't a Soc trying to kick me in my ribs like there was in the rumble. I was forced to let go when the Soc raised his switchblade backward. I knew he was gonna try to stab me. I let go and hit the ground. I quickly rolled to my feet. I barely got turned around when I saw a metallic glint barely miss stabbing into my arm. It still gave me a nasty cut, but I was lucky that it wasn't more serious. I wanted to kick myself for forgetting that I am their main target.

I saw Soda tackle that Soc that nearly stabbed me. Man, he was beating the tar outta that guy. I'd never seen Soda that mad. I caught a glimpse of Darry, who had a whole bunch of Socs ganging up on him. I ran over to help him, but he glared at me through a gap between two of them. His eyes were a mixture of fear and you-get-tangled-up-in-this-and-I'll-kill-you kind of a look. I guess you had to see it. I really didn't know what to do. On one hand, I knew that I should help Darry, but on the other hand I knew that I would probably be distracting him.

I finally decided to help Sodapop. Soda alongside Two-Bit, they were backed up against each other. I caught one of those Socs in a flying tackle, knocking over, , the one next to him. Soda smiled at me, then helped me up. We both started attacking those two. That night, I realized that Socs can't put up much a fight when they are pinned to the ground. They slugged me a couple of times, but that was nothing compared to what we were doing to them. Frankly, I think Soda was doing most of it.

Two-Bit got David pinned and was beating him like there was no tomorrow. David eventually called off the Socs and they ran away. I was shocked to find myself only bruised and cut up a little. Soda was a gash on his right arm and there was blood running down his left leg, but insisted he was fine. Two-Bit was banged up and maybe had a broken rib and hand. I then looked for Darry. It was pretty dark in the lot. I saw a lifeless heap with a fingue sitting on top. I figured that it was David (who apparently didn't run away like the rest of his gang) and I was right, the figure sitting on top I mean. He was beating the heap and cussing at it like…well, I'm not sure, but it made me real mad.

I charged at David with all I had and knocked him off. I started swearing at him and slugging him, doing anything I could to hurt him. He eventually knocked me off of him and scrambled away. I sat there numb with fear of what that heap was. I gathered the courage to move toward it, Soda was beside me in a second. I gently turned it over…


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my dear readers! I would like you all to know that I scarificed one of my toher stories so I could update this one more. Well, not really. I wasn't having fun writing it like I am for this one. My other story was for Inheritance Cycle, and I treid to write a story for it, but it wasn't very good in my opinion and I jut can't compete with CP. Still BIG fan tho. Not that i can compete with SE Hinton...**

**Antoher thing on my agenda to bring to the attention of my readers! This is a chapter that is in celebration of Monday, Today, and tomorrow! Monday: I cried reading a really good fanficiton and I had auditions! I feel like I totally messed up on the singing part of the audition cause the director asked what i was gonna sing and so i told him. I wasn't at all expecting that the guy that gave accompainment was gonna have the song memorized! Ug! I was totally thrown off for the timing! Tuesday: Cast list was posted and I am in the choir! I'm just happy that i got in! Wed: Last day of school! YAY! So here it is! **

**Enjoy the chapter...but i won't know if u did unless you review!**

_I gently turned it over…_

I knew who it was, but I didn't want to believe it. It was Darry. Tears filled my eyes and I didn't bother to fight them. My "superman" brother looked the way Johnny did the night the Socs jumped him, if not worse. Two-Bit sank to his knees.

"Darry?" I stuttered, trying (for Darry's sake) to not break down now. "Darry, can you hear me? It's going to be alright Darry. Stay with me buddy," I sighed in slight relief as I realized that Darry's chest was rising a falling, however raggedly. I turned to Soda, his eyes leaking almost as much as mine. "We need to get him to the hospital." Soda only nodded.

Two-Bit stumbled forward and picked Darry up, which I never knew he could do. We ran, or at least tried to, to our house since it was the closest to the lot. Two-Bit laid him gently into the backseat and got into the driver's seat. Soda tossed him the keys and got into the backseat. I silently got in too, after Soda.

I mutely cried all the way to the hospital. Soda talked to Darry in a low soothing voice, but I could tell he was crying too. Two-Bit just didn't take his eyes off the road and remained silent. That only scared me more. I stared out the window, trying not to think at all. I'm really bad at that.

It felt like forever until we reached the hospital. We all rushed without talking, I was practically sprinting from one location to another. Two-Bit had barely taken out the keys before he was picking up Darry. I sprinted ahead, knowing for some reason that every second mattered. I opened the door for Two-Bit. Soda was already explaining as politely as he could to the lady at the desk the urgency of our situation.

"Look. My older brother needs to see a doc now. And if you don't get one, I will," Soda threatened. The lady glared at him and asked for a doctor. They got Darry all checked out and he was now sleeping. An old guy dressed in green scrubs came to give me and Soda news about how our big brother was.

"He's stable now, but I don't have a clue how he got the way he did. It must have taken something pretty darn awful to get him the way he was," He paused waiting for someone to tell him what happened. None of us really felt like talking.

"How is he?" Soda asked quietly.

"I told you, he's stable…" The doctor started but Soda interrupted him.

"But how is he?" he asked louder.

"We aren't sure." He left it at that.

"When can I see him?" I blurted out.

"Not yet," The doctor said slowly. "He needs to rest,"

"When?" I nearly shouted.

"In a few hours," the doc said simply. He turned and left.

Soda and I sat back down. Two-Bit was smoking a pack of Kools and was expressionless. He just stared ahead and rubbed his broken hand. Soda and I had tried to convince him to have a doctor fix him up, but he just nodded his head no and we didn't push him on it.

I sat with my head in my hands. Soda rubbed circles into my back, trying to calm me. I looked up at him and saw that he was still crying slightly.

"You alright little buddy?" Soda asked.

"No," I answered truthfully. "Soda?"

"Yeah?"

"Why Darry?" I asked shakily.

"What'cha mean, kiddo?" Soda asked concern etched into his voice.

"The…the Socs. They said that they wanted me, to…ya know…beat me up. So why did they gang up on Darry? If I'm the one that they wanted?" I asked as I fought new tears back. I wasn't usually this soft. So why am I breaking down now? I asked myself. But then, I knew it was because I had grown close to Darry. He was my brother and seeing him beat up like he was wasn't something I wanted to ever see.

"Oh, baby. Don't worry about it. This isn't your fault. It's those - Socs," Soda said softly. "This isn't your fault,"

"But why Darry?" I urged. I wanted to know why those Socs had chosen to beat him to near death instead of me.

Soda sighed before answering. "I don't… I don't know," Soda stuttered. But I knew that he did know. So I pressed him again.

"Soda, I know that you know and if you don't tell me then I'll have no choice to blame myself. So you might as well tell me!" I said sitting up and staring at him. Soda did everything he could to avoid making eye contact.

"Pony, it's not your fault. Those Socs…" Soda took a deep shaky sigh before continuing. "Darry was sticking up for you. He wouldn't let them touch you. I guess they thought that he was the biggest threat and wanted to get rid of him first," Soda trailed off. He eventually made eye contact. He wrapped an arm around me and I knew that my eyes were as big as they felt.

Darry probably saved my life, I realized. Please no, don't go like Johnny. I thought. Don't die saving someone's life. I can't…Don't go Darry. I'm not ready…This is all my fault. I kept thinking these over and over again. Soda hugged me tighter. I think he could read my mind because he whispered, "This ain't your fault, Pony. Not one of us blames you, not even Darry. It's gonna be okay." He just kept repeating these over and over. I leaned against him, but didn't feel much like sleeping. I counted down the hours until the doctor finally came and said that we could go in and see him.


	4. Chapter 4

**This was a very hard chapter for me to write because I did my best to stay in character. I think Darry is slightly ooc, but I give a good reason in the story! Pelase let me know what you think about this chapter, and you readers and especcialy the story reviewers are making this a very funs tory to write!**

**Jules: Thanks, but I wasn't offended or anything when you were laughing at it on the bus. I was just teasing you back! XD **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

"You boys can go and see him. He's awake and stable, but he'll need to stay in the hopsital at lest through today, probably tomorrow as well," The doc told us. I felt a sudden surge of emotions. I wanted to see Darry, but at the same time I was afraid to. I thought that Darry would be mad at me. I looked at the clock across the room. It was one in the morning, and I had to take a double glance because it didn't feel that late. Soda nodded to the doctor and half-dragged me into the room. Darry smiled when he saw us, and for some reason I wasn't expecting that. I slumped into a chair next to Darry, and Soda sat on the bed on the other side. Two-Bit leaned agianst the wall, still rubbing his swollen hand.

"Glory, Two-Bit. You should get a doctor to check that out," Darry said.

"Naw, I'm fine. Just needs some time," Two-Bit cracked a grin and Darry rolled his eyes. The four of us settled into an awkward silence. Two-Bit glanced at the clock that was above Darry. "Whoa, I better get going or my old lady's gonna flip. See ya later guys," Two-Bit walked out of the room. I'm pretty sure he faked it all to let me, Soda, and Darry have a brother-to-brother talk, but I appreiciated it.

"You okay, Pony?" Darry asked, looking at me with concern. Physically or emotionally? I asked myself sarcastically.

"Yeah," I answered quietly. Darry looked at me unconvinced. I avoided eye contact. I just stared at the hands in my lap. He reluctanly moved his eyes away from me.

"What about you?" he asked Soda.

"I'll be just fine. Doc treatin' you all right?"

"I guess. I've been sleeping a lot. Speaking of sleeping, you two should go get some sleep,"

"I'm not really tired," I argued and Soda said the same thing. Darry shrugged. All three of us heard a soft growl.

"Geez, Soda! Was that you?" I asked and smiled at him.

He smiled too. "Yeah, I haven't had anything to eat since three this afternoon, remember?" That was right; Soda had skipped dinner because he had eaten too much for lunch.

"Go down into the cafeteria and get something to eat," Darry laughed. Soda got up and left.

Darry looked at me with concern again and I wish he'd stop. "You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Darry?" I asked, ignoring his quesiton

"Yeah?"

"Stop worryin' about me! I'm fine,"

"Sorry. It's my job to worry about my kid brother," Darry smiled. He had been smiling an awful lot, I thought. Darry wasn't really acting like himself, but I knew that it was obvious that I was spooked about the whole thing, so it was probably the parenting instinct that made him show his softer side. I still avoided eye contact. Darry ran his fingers through my hair. "Pony, somethin's bothering you. What is it?"

"Nothing, It's just…well…I'm sorry," I finally said. Thinking back on it, I don't know what made me say it.

"What in the almighty universe are you talking about?" Darry asked me, completely serious.

"For what happened…you know, with the Socs," I said quietly.

Darry picked up my hand and held it in his. We finally made eye contact for the first time since the fight. "Pony, I ain't mad. You know that right? It ain't your fault," I was surprised by the softness with which he spoke.

"Yeah it is," I argued.

"Shut up talking like that!" Darry snapped. "I don't blame you, no one does. It ain't your fault that those Socs were after you, Pony,"

"I know it, but it just ain't fair!" I nearly shouted. "Darry, they should have gone after me! I'm the one that they wanted," I was in tears, despite my best attempt to fight them.

"Ponyboy, they ain't gonna hurt you," Darry said softly. I was ashamed of myself, I never cried this much. Darry laid there, watching me. I fought the tears back as best as I could. Darry doesn't need this right now I thought. He needs me to be strong; I can't break down now. A few minutes later Soda came in with a candy bar.

"Come on, kid brother, we'll be back later Dar. Kay?" Soda said as I stood up.

"You guys go on, I'll see y'all later," I was pretty quiet during the ride home. I think that made Soda nervous cause he was unnaturally silent too. I let my mind wander, I do that all the time. I was just thinking. First I was thinking about Darry, I thought on him for a long while and silently thanked him for saving my life. I then thought of school and track. Out of nowhere, something just clicked. I don't know why, I don't know how, but it clicked.

Darry wasn't gonna be able to go to work for a while and Soda's paycheck ain't gonna be able to pay for the hospital bill and all the other stuff. I was gonna have to get a job.

**Really want you to be Excited for the story, I am Very much so. I hope that Every one of you reviews. best Wishes! **

**REVIEW! **

**~I'm serious! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hiya readers! I liked writing this chapter, but really the entire story. And you know who makes this fun? You! Yay! I can't take credit for the horseman joke in this chapter, but i really wanted to use it. XD I really hope that "jules" is reading this, becuase i can't text u, lost phone. ANYWAY, please let me know if you all liked this chapter, really, you guys have been fabulous about reviewing and don't stop now! **

**Enjoy the chapter! XD XD**

"Soda?" I asked suddenly.

"Yeah, kiddo?" He answered, making sure to keep his eyes on the road.

"I'm gonna have to get a job, won't I?" I asked shyly.

"Uh," I could tell that Soda was caught off guard. "Why would you have to do that?"

"Well, Darry is gonna be out of work for a while 'cause even once the doc lets him out he won't be able to do much. And your pay ain't enough for all the bills and the hospital one too. I'm old enough to work some places," I reasoned. "I was thinkin' 'bout being a paperboy. I can get up real early and by the time I'm done with my route it'll be time to go to school," I suggested.

"You wanna be a paperboy, Pony? Really?" Soda asked, genuinely surprised.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Hmmm…" Soda hummed thoughtfully. He was wuiet in thought for a while before answering, "No, you ain't gonna be a paperboy,"

"What? What's wrong with a paperboy? It won't get in the way of schoolwork and it pays all right!" I argued.

"No, not after what happened. Don't you use your head?" I gaped, that made him sound so much like Darry it scared me. "Those Socs are gonna be lookin' for ya, kiddo. I ain't about to let my kid brother wander all around town by yer lonesome at three in the morning, with guys who wanna kill ya after you." Soda said, with a hint of sympathy. "We'll find you a different job,"

We sat in silence again, I kept trying to think of a job that paid a fourteen year old boy well that I could tolerate. Truth was, there just wasn't much.

We saw Two-Bit walking down the street and decided that we should give him a lift. He accepted and got in the front seat. Two-Bit kept rubbing that broken hand and I wondered about it for a while, but didn't mention anything about it. Instead, I asked him something that made him start laughing.

"Hey, Two-Bit, you don't know where I might be able to get a job, do you?"

He chuckled. "What do you need a job for, kid?"

I gave the same reasons that I did to Soda.

"Well, it looks like your growing up, Ponyboy. Or maybe we should start calling you "horseman"," He started laughing really hard.

"Aw, shut up, Two-Bit! I'm serious!"

"Kid, I don't work, and you know that."

"I know, I was just wonderin' if you knew of any place that needed work," I snapped.

"Well, I don't. Sorry, kid. I got nothing, but I'll let you know if anything comes up," Two-Bit answered after he had stopped laughing. The rest of the ride was pretty quiet, both before and after we dropped Two-Bit off.

We reached home pretty quickly and Soda and I toppled into bed the second we were both changed. I laid there, not really sleepy. I closed my eyes after an hour or so (Soda had fallen asleep nearly the second his head hit the pillow).

"_We need to teach the kid a lesson,"_

"_Over my dead body,"_

_The knife_

_The heap_

_The wicked smile_

"_Over my dead body,"_

_Darry_

"_How is he?"_

"_We're not sure,"_

"_They ain't gonna hurt you,"_

_The knife_

_The smile_

_The heap_

_Darry's blood-stained face…_

I opened my eyes and sat up, sweat covering my body. I was shivering, and it wasn't 'cause I was cold. My face was wet from tears that were still coming. I looked at my pillow, which was soaked from me crying.

"Pony? Hey, you okay?" Soda sat up next to me and looked at me worriedly, concern clear in his voice.

"Yeah, just a nightmare," I mumbled as I leaned against Soda. He wrapped his arms around me and rocked me, just like mom did when I was little. He rubbed circles into my back.

"Nothing's gonna happen to you, ya' know that right, Pony? No one's gonna hurt you," Soda whispered in my ear. I was still shaking, and I was starting to bawl.

You know when something big happens to you and you don't fully realize what happened until after and then all your feelings that you've kept bottled up come in a big, overwhelming rush? Well, that's what was happening. Soda just kept rocking me and I let go of my steady-as-a-rock self. I just started bawling and I must have cried for at least half an hour. By the time I was done, I was drained of all emotions and fell asleep, there in my brother's arms.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! Sorry it took so long, I've been reading a series that isn't all that bad. All my freids read it, and some luved it and others couldn't care less. My sister hated it. I think she's overconfident that I'll hate it too. I promised myself that I wouldn't ever read it, since its the teen craze now. But i ran out of stuff to read in my house, and so I got bored like you would never beilieve. I skipped the first book, since I knew enough about it to not read the first book. Each book is 500-700 pages. I started with the second one Tues. last week, and I'm halfway through the last one, and lognest one. I'm not gonna tell you what i was reading, becuase i know some of my readers probavbly really hate the series, and I don't want that to affect theri opinion of this stroy. Feel free to guess when you review. **

**I know that this chapter seems like I'm dragging out the story, I'm not trying to. Please let me know if you agree with me. **

**Autotrphism is the answer- I know who you are. And i hope your reading this, becuase it's not like i can text u, or private message you (since you don't have an account), and i don't have your e-mail. I think you should get an account. **

When I woke up, sunlight was streaming into my eyes and I had to blink a few times to clear my vision. Soda was still fast asleep, his arm wrapped around me. I squirmed out from under him, got dressed, and went down into the kitchen. I hunted down the chocolate cake, since I wasn't in the mood to cook anything. I had had a rough night, never really got more than half an hour of sleep at a time before I would wake up in a cold sweat or screaming. It wasn't the nightmares that I couldn't remember, like it was before. This was worse because I _could _remember them. It scared the heck out of Soda, and it had gotten to the point where I asked him to sleep in Darry's room, so I couldn't wake him up anymore. He refused no matter how hard I pressed him and no matter how many times I woke up screaming. A few times I thought of going into Darry's room and leting Soda sleep, but that thought was instantly shot down for a few reasons. One, sleeping in Darry's room was only gonna worsen my nightmares (after all, my nightmares were mostly about Darry) and two, if Soda woke up and couldn't find me, he might have a heart attack.

I cut a small piece out of the cake. I wasn't really hungry but Soda would insist that I eat something. I turned on the television quietly, not wanting to wake my brother up. I stared at the Mickey Mouse cartoons mindlessly, trying desprately to erase the image of Darry in the hospital that burned into my mind. How could he do it? I thought to myself, despite my attempt at distracting myself. His face was swollen and cut up, he looked just like Johnny did that night the Socs jumped him. And yet, he smiled. He worried about _me_, not himself.

"Hey kid!" Two-Bit said, a bit louder than necessary, as he waltzed in, slamming the door behind him.

"Sshhh!" I hushed him, looking back at my bedroom door.

"Sorry, Soda still asleep?"

"Yup,"

"Hey, you got any cake left?" I rolled my eyes.

"Do you eat an ounce of food at your own house?"

"Is that the last of it?" Two-Bit asked, motioning to my plate and completely ignoring my question.

"The rest of it's in the kitchen. Save some for Soda," I called as Two-Bit was already making his way toward it. Before long, Two-Bit came back, with a beer and a quarter of the cake. He sat down on the opposite side of the couch and I stretched a little.

"Hey, Two-Bit!" Soda said as he came out from the bedroom and plopped himself bewtween us. I felt a twinge of guilt as I saw his sunken eyes. He hadn't gotten any more sleep than I did, probably less.

"Soda, you got work today?" I asked him.

He sighed heavily, like he wanted to deny every ounce of the truth. "Yeah," he answered glumly. I saw Two-Bit flash me a grin.

"Looks like it's just you and me, today, kid," he said.

"Pinch me, I must be dreaming," I mumbled sarcastically. "Ow!" I shouted as Two-Bit leaned across and pinched my leg.

I glowered at him, but didn't push it. I didn't feel much like a fight. Like I said before, I was tired. No doubt that Two-Bit was too, but no one can bounce back from sleep derpivation like Two-Bit.

"There's cake in the kitchen if your hungry, Soda," I said after I heard his stomach growl. Without another word, he got up and went into the kitchen.

"Agh!" I heard Soda shout from the kitchen.

"What?" Two-Bit and I asked him at the same time. Soda didn't answer, but he sprinted to our bedroom. He tripped and fell, but did a somersault to get back onto his feet without a second to spare. It was really impressive. I heard a crash come from the bedroom.

"Soda, you allright?" I called.

"Yeah, just stupid lamp…" he didn't finish the sentence. A minute passed and Soda was back, fully dressed and rushing to get out the door.

"By y'all! Gotta go to work. I'm already…" Soda closed the door before he finihsed, but I heard him say "half an hour late," as he ran to his car. I ran into the kitchen to see what time it was. It was true, Soda was already half an hour late. I went back and sat down again.

"Ponyboy, you wanna go see Darry?" Two-Bit asked.

"Sure,"

**Okay, so taht's not exactly a cliffy, but please still review. XD The more reviews i get, the faster i will update adn the more effort i will put into my stories. Not that I don't already put lots of effort, but you know what i mean...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, hi! Um, well, i don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. Y'ALL ROCK MY SOCKS! you reviewers especially. **

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I had the WORST case of writers block. I spent an entire play prcatice (which i actually wasn't needed there for, but I didn't know that so I went and wrote) and then I had family over all week and so I've been spending lots of time with them. So, I'm sooooo sorry. **

**I wanna give a BIG shout out to my buddy EverythingHappensForAReason! YOU ROCK HARD! **

**Okay, this is my shortest chapter yet, but I hope to update soon...if I don't get writer's block again...XD**

I stood up and went to mine and Sodapop's bedroom. I had to smile at the destroyed lamp on the floor; no doubt that Soda had knocked it over in his mad dash. I pulled on a hand-me-down gray t-shirt and some blue jeans and greased my hair back before I headed back to sit down. I finished the little bit of cake that was left on my plate at the same time that Two-Bit drowned the last of his beer. He looked at me and stood up.

"You ready?" I asked him, standing up.

"Yup,"

I turned the television off and headed for the door. Two-Bit set his empty beer bottle on the floor and walked out into the bright sunlight. I followed him to car.

The ride there felt much shorter than last night's ride to the hospital. My mind was still full of images from last night, so I turned on the radio needing distractions. Two-Bit proved helpful for that. He kept wise-cracking at every little thing that the guy said on the radio. We reached the hospital and I headed straight to the front desk.

"Hello, can I help you?" a woman at the dest asked me, smiling kindly. Though I felt like anything but smiling, I returned the gesture.

"Yeah, I'm Ponyboy Curtis—" I paused and glared at the woman as she visibly fought back a laugh. "My brother, Darrel Curtis…um…well…can I see him?" I realized that it was a stupid question, but the lady didn't seem to notice.

"Darrel Curtis…." She started to shuffle through a pile of medical papers. "Ah, here it is. You want to visit him, is that correct?"

"Yes, ma'am,"

"You'll have to wait a few hours,"

"Why?" I snapped, harsher than I meant it to. Of course I knew that she had no control over that.

"He's in surgery just down the hall, sweetheart," she said sympathetically.

"What for?" I said lowering my voice with the new rush of panic that came with the word "surgery".

She looked back at the papers on her desk. "At 7:14am the doctors discovered that he was suffereing from severe internal bleeding,"

7:14am, I thought, looking at the clock on the wall. That was only a few minutes before we arrived…

"When will he be out?" Two-Bit asked from behind me. I had forgotten that he had come with me.

"We're not sure," the woman answered. After seeing the look on my face she quickly added, "but if you would like to wait, there are some chairs over there," she motioned to some red coushined chairs on the left.

"Come on kid, lets go sit," Two-Bit said to me.

"Wait," Two-Bit stopped in his tracks.

"What?" He asked as he turned to me.

"I want to call Soda," I said. "He should know this." Two-Bit shrugged and went to sit down. I dialed the number for the DX station.

"_Hello. This is the DX Gasoline Station located on the corner of 27__th__ street and Pucke Drive. How can I help you?" _A male teenager said, sounding really bored. But the voice didn't belong to Soda or Steve.

"I'm calling for a Sodapop Curtis."

"_Who should I say is calling?"_

"Tell him it's Ponyboy,"

"_One moment please," _There was a pause before my older brother's voice came on.

"_Ponyboy?"_

"Hi, Soda," I said with fake cheerfullness. Soda saw right through it.

"_Is everything okay?"_

"Darry's in surgery,"

"_What? Why?" _

"The doc discovered internal bleeding a few minutes before I got here with Two-Bit,"

"_Ugh, I can't leave yet, I just got here. I'll be there at the end of my shift though, ya dig?"_

"Don't worry about it Soda. Just wanted to make sure you knew. I'll let you know if anything else comes up,"

"_Thanks Ponyboy. See ya later,"_

"Bye."

I went over to sit next to Two-Bit, who was smoking a pack of Kools and watching me carefully.

"What did he say?" he asked as I settled into the chair.

"That he would be here at the end of his shift," "I answered casually. Two-Bt nodded. There was a still moment of quiet and then I heard it.

"WE NEED HELP!" A nurse's plea came from just down the hall…

**Duh, duh, duuuuhhhhh! (dramatic music) this is my second good cliffy! Waddya think? Huh? Huh? Huh? Well, I cant tell, so you're gonna have to tell me.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi! You guys slacked off on the reviews! That makes me sad! Please don't make me sad. Remember this: Darry's life is in my hands. **

**Also, I need to warn you that this may be the most boring chapter in the history of fanfiction. Sorry. The begining isn't as boring, but the ecounter with the doctor is boring. I explain what happened. **

**Part of this chapter I my favorite (maybe), because it takes a serious look at all that Darry's done for Ponyboy. **

**Review! And never forget: Darry's life is in my hands!**

Me and Two-Bit stood up in alarm. What? I thought. There was no way I had heard her right.

"PLEASE! WE NEED HELP!" Several doctors rushed in.

"WHO IS THIS?" one of the doctors shouted, trying to be heard over the alarms.

"DARREL CURTIS!" the same nurse shouted over the alarms that were echoing down the hall. From that I assumed that the question involved the identity of the patient. All hope I had that the nurses weren't talking about Darry vanished .I couldn't make out anything else. I sank to my knees. My mind whirled memories of Darry.

_Memory of the night Mom and Dad died. Darry decided to keep us, though it meant no college for him. _

_Memory of the night after the funeral of Mom and Dad. It was the first night I had a nightmare. I had woken up screaming. The first person in the room was Darry. _

_Memory of my first jumping. The whole gang had come running. Darry had been the one who pulled me to my feet. _

_Memory of the night Johnny killed Bob. Darry had been the one who had hit me. He'd never meant to. _

_Memory of my first night home since Windrixville. Darry had been the one who told the reporters to back off. Darry had been the one who'd carry me to bed that night._

_Memory of the rumble. Darry didn't want me to fight. Darry had knocked away that one Soc that was slugging the daylights outta me._

_Memory of when I was sick. Darry had looked after me. Darry had taken time away from the much needed work._

_Memory of when Soda had ran out on us after we were arguing. We had finally reached an understanding of one another._

_Memory of last night. Darry had saved my life. "Over my dead body…" _

"Ponyboy?" I was snapped back into reality and looked up. Two-Bit was kneeling next to me.

"I'm fine," I lied. Tears filled my eyes and I fought to contain them. He isn't dead yet. I kept thinking, desperate for any bit of hope I could find. Two-Bit didn't say anything, nor did he move.

"Family of Darrel Curtis?" a doc asked to the open. I couldn't hear any more alarms. But whether that was because I didn't want to or because they turned them off, I couldn't tell you. I stood up and Two-Bit after me. We walked over to the doctor, and I didn't bother to smile at him. Matter of fact, I wanted so bad to flatten him for the stupid half-hearted smile he was wearing then.

"Yeah?" I answered. The doc looked at Two-Bit, who simply said "close friend" and I nodded in agreement. "How is he?" I couldn't bring myself to ask if he was dead. I just couldn't do it.

"Please follow me into my office," We followed him quietly down a long hallway. We got a few dirty looks from nurses who were passing by. We passed the door to the room that once held Johnny and a single tear escaped. We were led into a small, very messy room. The doc sat behind what I thought was his desk, it was so messy it was hard to tell.

"I'm going to give it to you straight. He was in serious trouble there for a while," Man did I want to slug that guy, "His severe internal bleeding wasn't discovered until this morning. It was more serious than we thought" He stopped.

"What were those alarms for?" I asked him slowly so my voice didn't sound as shaky as I felt.

"Well, as you know he had gone into surgery so that the wound that was causing the internal bleeding could be sown up. However, he was bleeding faster than we thought. His heart couldn't pump that much blood fast enough in order for his heart to get blood. You see, the Circulatory system is a complex network of veins that run in loops that connect to your heart," the doctor explained slowly. "The first loop goes from your heart to the lungs then back to your heart as oxygen rich blood," he paused, letting this all sink in. Of course, I already knew this since it had been on one of my science tests the previous week. But I let him continue anyway. "The second loop goes to the rest of the body and then back to the heart where it is recycled into the first loop. Are you with me so far?"

I nodded and Two-Bit did too, but I knew he didn't understand a word of what the doctor just said.

"Well, Mr. Curtis had a severe injury to the lungs that caused several veins to be broke open. This caused many problems. The blood that the heart pumped into those veins began to leak into the lungs. This made it much harder for the needed amount of oxygen to reach the veins. This caused other problems in his body, due to the fact that they aren't use to getting the reduced amount of oxygen. Also, because of the broken veins his heart went into overdrive. During the surgery, because his heart was in overload, they couldn't stop the bleeding fast enough. His heart stopped,"

I made a small noise in the back of my throat. The question that I wanted to ask, whether Darry died, couldn't come out without me crying. I stared at the hands in my lap, my eyes kept getting bigger.

"Is he dead?" Two-Bit asked straightforward. I squeezed my eyes shut. Afraid of the answer.

"Not yet, but he's moved into critical condition. All of that took a heavy toll on his body," the doctor said gently.

"Will he make it?" Two-Bit then asked in the same, steady voice.

"We'll know soon enough,"

**Okay, that's only sortof a cliffy. Now REVIEW! It's a life or death situation. Well, darry's life. XD **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the reviews. We are nearing the end of this journey, and all questions will be answered in the near future. The beginning of this chapter was just fun. It's how I threaten to get my sister up sometimes. Otherwise, this isn't my best chapter, sorry. Please let me know what you think anyway! **

"Come on, Pony! Wake up or you'll be late for school!" Soda yelled from the kitchen. I groaned and pulled the blankets up and over my head. I heard Soda comin' down the hall and he opened the door. "You're gonna be late," he scolded.

"That's kinda the idea," I answered, my voice muffled from the pillow covering my face. I listened as Soda left and I relaxed a little. I really didn't want to go to school. It didn't help that more nightmares had happened last night. The scene at the hospital was all too vivid in my mind. Soda had done his best to calm me about it. But he wasn't there when the alarms went off or when the nurse screamed for help. Soda had gotten all the news once he had arrived, and looked like he was gonna rip my head off for not calling him once I had found out.

I groaned again as Soda's footsteps got louder and louder. He opened the door quietly, but I just pretend that I was alseep. I felt the suden change of weight shift on the bed as Soda sat down. He yanked the covers off and I felt something freezing cold brush my neck and slide down by warm back. I shot up.

"Dang it, Soda! Really?" I shouted, but not harshly. I took my shirt off and shook it out. Two, half-melted ice cubes dropped into by lap. I looked up at him. "You had to result to ice cubes?"

"Well," Soda said, grinning with amusement, "it worked didn't it? You're up! Now hurry and get dressed. Breakfast is ready." I rolled my eyes and laid back down. Soda picked up the two melting ice cubes and pushed them into by back again. I yelped and sat up, glaring teasingly at him. "Come on, Ponyboy!" he called as he closed the door behind him.

_**-Outsiders-**_

School went by painfully slow. I was pretty quiet, even during lunch. I kept thinking of jobs that would pay a guy like me well. I was having trouble coming up with one. I get along pretty well with Mr. Syme, especially after he read my paper, so I decided to ask him. Hey, I was desperate.

"Uh, Mr. Syme?" I asked after the class had ended and the room had emptied. I didn't need the whole school buzzing with the fact that I asked my English teacher for a job.

"Yes, Ponyboy?" he replied, looking up from his papers on his desk.

"Um…" I had no idea how to ask this question. "Well…ya know my older brother? Darry?"

"Yes…" he leaned back into his chair.

"Well, he's…" I gulped. "he's in the hospital and so I was wonderin' if you knew…where I could get a…a job?" my uncertainty made it into a question. I wanted to beat it outta there. I felt so stupid.

"Oh. I'm sorry," he said real quietly, after reading my paper he knew what Darry in the hospital could mean for me. He was quiet for a minute.

"If you don't then that's okay," I said quickly. "I was just lookin' fer ideas."

He nodded in understanding, but remained deep in thought. His face suddenly brightened and I turned around, thinkin' that someone had entered the room or something.

"Ponyboy, I have this friend, in New York…" he paused, and I just nodded once and waited for him to continue. But I was thinkin that this guy was nuts if he thought I was gonna travel all the way to New York to find a job. "She's a publisher. Very well known too. Would you mind if I sent your theme in to her?"

My mouth dropped opened and it took a second to gain my composure again. "You wanna make my theme into...a book?" I asked in complete disbeleif.

"Yes. You have potential, Ponyboy. And I think that it's worth a shot. I'll pay for the expenses to get it there and get it off the ground if you need to. You would get a paycheck every month…" he trailed off, seeming really excited about the whole idea. I was speechless for a moment, contemplating it all.

"How…how much?" I asked, more out of curiousity than anything.

"Would you get? Plenty. I dno't know exactly, it depends on how many books sell," he replied, grinning as my eyes widened. But then something slowly dawned on me.

"Glory. Would I have to put up with book singin' and all that?" I said glumly. I had heard about that kinda stuff on the news, and I didn't want to hafta put up with all that.

"Well, not if you don't want to…You could always make up a name for the author so that no one knows its you besides me, your publsiher, and who ever it is that you decide to tell," he said slowly. We were both quiet.

"Glory," I said again. "I'll have to ask Sodapop…"

"That's fine. Let me know tomorrow."

_**-Outsiders-**_

During dinner that night, I asked Soda, even though I knew he would be fine with it. I explained it all, the check, the sales, the fake name, the publisher, all of it. Soda got really excited about it.

"You mean that you're gonna be famous?" Soda asked excitedly.

"Only sorta,"

"Sorta?"

"Well, I ain't about to do all that signin' and junk. Like I said, I wanna use a fake name," I replied, poking at my green pancakes.

"Oh, okay," Soda shrugged.

"So…can I do it? Mr. Syme said that he'd pay for all that stuff like gettin' my theme to the publsiher and all the other stuff we can't pay for yet."

"Sure, kiddo," he answered, grinning with pride at me.

_**-Outsiders-**_

I told Mr. Syme thank you and that I would pay him back when I had the money, but he siad not to. I guess this was his way of helping us. Truth be told, we really appreciated it. Especially now, when we weren't sure whther Darry was gonna make it or not.

**Please review. (Do it for Darry!) **


	10. Chapter 10

**This is my last chapter. Tissues are advised. The inspiration for this chapter is dedicated to The song "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas.**

_Ponyboy,_

_I know how hard this is on you. This isn't easy for me either, leaving you guys behind. But both you and Soda are strong. You'll pull through. I don't regret that night, Ponyboy. I think that you need to know that. I don't regret it. And I also know that Soda and Two-Bit and Steve are going to go lookin' for revenge. Let them know that they shouldn't. I'm not worried about you for that, your head's in the right place for stuff like that. Heck, you got a good head on your shoulders in general. I've always known that. Maybe that's why I've been pushing you so hard. I'm sorry. I'm glad we had a chance to fix things before I left. I want you and Soda to stay close, like you are now. But also, please go easy on Soda. He has a lot to deal with right now. _

_Speakin' of Soda, he came in and told me that your theme is gonna be a book? Wow, then it must be good. I'm proud of you, Pony. Soda is too. I don't know if you already told Steve or Two-Bit (or if you plan on telling them). I also heard that your teacher is gonna help with the expenses. That's good. Tell him I said thank you. _

_I'm not gonna be around to give you advice, so I guess I should tell you as much of the important stuff now. _

_Please don't stop living because I won't be there. Knowing you, you wanna drop outta track. Please don't. Ponyboy, you're a good runner and I've always liked going to them track meets. Don't stop livin' Ponyboy. 'Cause I know you gonna try. Just keep going. You still have Soda, Two-Bit, and Steve. Try to be friends with Steve. For Soda's sake. _

_Ponyboy, don't grow up too fast. I know that I did. I also know that that's okay. But you have people to look after you. Enjoy what you can of life, get the most out of it. _

_Try. Always try. I hate to see you give up on something before you've really taken a look at it. I remember Dad once told me that if you don't try then you'll never know. That's good advice. _

_Ponyboy, never take anything for advantage. _

_Well, that much sums it all up. I don't know exactly where I'm going after my death, so I wanna tell you this in since I'll never get another chance while you're on earth: I love you, Ponyboy. I never said that enough, and I'm sorry. _

_-Darry_

_Sodapop,_

_I'm sorry, little buddy, for dumping all of this on you. But Ponyboy doesn't have anyone else. And don't blame Ponyboy for this and don't let anyone else either. This ain't his fault. It was my most important (and favorite) job to look after you guys. And I did. Now, it's your job to look after our kid brother. I'm not worried about that. You've always been better with him than I have. _

_The best advice I can give you is not to grow up too fast. I don't want to see you become a different person. The rest of the advice I would give you, you already know. Don't stop living just because I'm not there. Still be Sodapop, because you're always more fun when you're happy-go-lucky and I know that the gang can probably use some cheering up and the best person for that is you. _

_I know that you're worried about the Social Services. Truth be told, I am too. And I don't know if there is any advice that I can give you. But please try your best to be kept together. That's the most I can possibly ask for. Mrs. Mathews came in and told me that she would adopt the two of you. Two-Bit came in and told me the same thing in case I didn't make it._

_I also know how angry you are. But Soda, don't go looking for revenge. It won't help anybody in the long run, it will only start the chain reaction. Get the police involved if they keep bothering anyone in the gang, otherwise, let it go. _

_I dig how stressed you are too. I went through the same things when Mom and Dad died. But Pony's a good writer and he'll sell books. That money should help. _

_I'm sorry that you have to do all of this, Soda. I'm sorry that I'm not going to be there to help. But both of you are strong, I know you'll make it. I am not sure if I've ever said this outright, but since I'll never get the chance while you're still on earth, I love ya kid._

_-Darry_

_**Please review. NO FOUL LANGUANGE! wasn't that sad?**_


	11. Chapter 11

**A Special Thanks to:**

My reading teacher, for assigning the assignment that got this story started and for making us read _The Outsiders_

My sister, for inspiring me to go against what is expected and kill your favorite character

S.E Hinton, for writing this classic story on which my story is based on

EverythingHappensForAReason, for reading my story. You're a great friend, and it really meant a lot that you read this

All who read my story

All who reviewed my story, especially those who gave constructive critism and constructive praise.

**Things that I would like to point out:**

I tried to take a different look at the characters. I liked the look I gave Two-Bit. Him being more of the brother type in this story rather than just the joker. I liked making Darry a little more affectionate in this story than he is in the book. I thought that that was acceptable, since something like that tends to change a person.

Yes, I did kill Darry. Many of you are probably asking "Why?". Well, I'll tell you. As much as you all (except autotrophismistheanswer) begged me to not kill Darry, I had it set in my mind that I was going to kill him. Why? Because I knew that deep down none of you really expected me to kill him.

I didn't have much symbolism. I'm not very good at that. I'll work on it.

In chapter 8, where it says:

"_Memory of the night Mom and Dad died. Darry decided to keep us, though it meant no college for him. _

_Memory of the night after the funeral of Mom and Dad. It was the first night I had a nightmare. I had woken up screaming. The first person in the room was Darry. _

_Memory of my first jumping. The whole gang had come running. Darry had been the one who pulled me to my feet. _

_Memory of the night Johnny killed Bob. Darry had been the one who had hit me. He'd never meant to. _

_Memory of my first night home since Windrixville. Darry had been the one who told the reporters to back off. Darry had been the one who'd carry me to bed that night._

_Memory of the rumble. Darry didn't want me to fight. Darry had knocked away that one Soc that was slugging the daylights outta me._

_Memory of when I was sick. Darry had looked after me. Darry had taken time away from the much needed work._

_Memory of when Soda had ran out on us after we were arguing. We had finally reached an understanding of one another._

_Memory of last night. Darry had saved my life. "Over my dead body…" "_

I hadn't realized until I wrote that all that Darry did for Ponyboy in the book.

Now, I might publish a sequel, but I am going to need some convincing. Tell me if you honestly think (either way) if I should write a sequel. If I do, I promise that the entire story isn't going to be mourning, mourning, and more mourning. There will be some other stuff in there too. And I will probably have more Steve….I dunno. You tell me! Should I?

_\_


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